What is Neuromuscular Therapy?
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) is the science by which normal physiological functioning; homeostasis is brought about between the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system.

NMT is a comprehensive program that helps people:

•Recover from acute and chronic pain syndromes.•Prevent future injury.•Perform at their best.

NMT utilizes specific massage techniques, safe effective stretching, and a variety of home care techniques to eliminate the causes of most neuromuscular pain patterns. This specific and scientific approach to muscular pain relief will help to bring about balance between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

NMT enhances the function of joints, muscles and biomechanics and it releases endorphins, the body's own natural painkillers. This allows for pain free movement through the harmonious synchronization of the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. It can be part of a comprehensive program, complementing all other health care modalities. Back>>

Why Neuromuscular Therapy?
NMT fills a void left by traditional health care by analyzing soft tissue causes of pain and correcting them without drugs or surgery. According to recent research approximately 90% of pain symptoms are considered idiopathic, which means there is no known cause. We believe the reason there is no known cause is that a proper investigation into the patient's soft tissues is not being performed. NMT is a way to analyze and thoroughly explore the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in order to find these hidden sources of pain.

The more relaxed the muscles are the better the synchronization is between the mind and the body.

NMT is a natural, integrative approach to prevent injury, increase performance and relieve pain. A Neuromuscular Therapist’s approach is to not only to eliminate the pain, but also educate and empower the client on ways to prevent pain and injury. The goal is to bring about optimal physiological function resulting in:

Through a program that encourages whole body wellness you will prevent injury, increase your body’s performance and chronic pain will be resolved. We treat clients every day that feel better and live more active lives through the programs we provide. Back>>

What causes pain?
Overuse of muscles and joints, repetitive motion injury, sports injury, accidents, stress, too much sitting or standing, not enough exercise, bad habits, adaptation compensation, decompensation and more can produce the factors that result in nagging discomfort to debilitating pain.

The muscular system is the largest system of the human body. The number of muscles in the human body varies from about 656 to 850, depending on which expert you consult. No exact figure is available because there are a variety of opinions about what constitutes a distinct muscle versus a part of a complex muscle. Also, there is some variability in muscular structure between individuals.

Skeletal muscles provide us with the ability to move. They comprise 50% of a person’s total body weight. Muscles are the primary targets of the wear and tear of daily activities. Yet, muscles in general receive little attention as a major source of pain and dysfunction. The severity of symptoms can range from painless restriction of movement and distortion of posture to agonizing, incapacitating pain. Severe soft tissue pain often devastates the quality of life, but this can be prevented.

NMT seeks to discover and correct the following principal factors that cause pain:

1. Ischemia is the lack of blood flow to an area of soft tissue that has become hyper contracted and hypersensitive. Sometimes caused by poor posture, biomechanical dysfunction, trauma, strain or overuse of muscles and joints. 2. Trigger points are areas of high neurological activity that refer sensations like pain, spasm and ischemia to other parts of the body. If a trauma is severe or ischemia left unresolved long enough, trigger points will result. 3. Nerve compression is pressure on a nerve by a cartilaginous or boney structure. Vertebral joints in the spine are where this condition commonly occurs.4. Nerve entrapment is pressure on a nerve by soft tissue. A common cause of tingling and numbness in hands is caused by the entrapment of the brachial plexus, starting in the neck and traveling into each arm.5. Postural distortion created by imbalance in the muscular tonus system resulting in parts of the body not aligned with the body’s center of gravity. Usually accompanied by joint misalignment patterns and overworked postural muscles. The conditions of scoliosis (crooked spine), hyperlordosis (sway back), hyperkyphosis (hunch back) and forward head position are examples of this condition. A primary source and perpetuating factor of pain. 6. Biomechanical dysfunction created by imbalances in the musculoskeletal system resulting in compensated, often uncomfortable, sometimes-painful movement patterns. These patterns could become habits and replace good physiological function. This leads to joint compression and shearing, destruction of cartilage and weakened ligaments. A common example of this is frozen shoulder.

These six factors, individually and collectively, each play a role in stimulation of the nervous system and the peripheral tissues. The human body is designed to deal with a certain range of stimulation, efficiently and effectively. When stimulation from the external environment and internal environment of the body exceeds the nervous system’s limits, undesirable changes begin to occur in the nervous system, including the registration of pain and the occurrence of dysfunctional integrity. Back>>

How does Neuromuscular Therapy work?
NMT seeks to account for and address these factors by discovering and charting the client’s structural and biomechanical patterns and examining the soft tissues in the client's body. The therapist will then be able correlate the client’s current neuromuscular status to the neurophysiologic laws and principles that explain how the nervous system maintains homeostatic balance (normal physiological function). These are same laws that also dictate how the nervous system initiates & perpetuates pain responses and controls the musculoskeletal system.

These finding are then analyzed and a comprehensive program is designed specifically for that client. The program will employ a variety of techniques intended to balance the nervous system with the musculoskeletal system. The client is then thoughtfully guided through the five stages of rehabilitation:

1. Eliminate muscle spasm through the use of specific massage techniques in order to resolve ischemia and trigger points.2. Restore flexibility by applying PNF and AIS stretching techniques that safely train joints to move freely without pain.3. Restore proper biomechanics with sensory movement instruction and practice.4. Increase muscle strength with specific resistance exercise and movement that synchronize muscles and the brain.5. Increase muscular endurance with exercise and movement that safely provide extended periods of activity without discomfort.

As you can see the body can refer pain far away from the root cause of the pain. This many times results in the symptom of a problem being treated, rather than the underlying cause. We take a comprehensive look at your body, locate the root cause and solve this problem. It is an amazing way to return to health and improve performance rather than trying to force a result.
Restoring proper structure and biomechanics not only alleviate pain, but can positively affect a variety of physiological conditions. One of the neurophysiologic laws that are the basis for Neuromuscular Therapy is Wolff's law. Simply stated, Wolff's law says: “form follows function and function follows form." Thus, a distortion in the form of the body is often correlated to improper function of the body. For example, a slouching posture can decrease digestive function or a trigger point into the neck can create headaches. When proper structure is restored to the body, the accompanying physiological problems are often alleviated.

Whether a person comes in with Plantar Fasciitis or a migraine headache the first thing we will do is an evaluation of the entire body. We believe the body to be one unit. We also believe that treating any one part of the body without looking at the system, as a whole would be an ineffective strategy. We have found many patients with headache patterns that begin in their hips and many foot pains that are perpetuated by a forward head posture. Had we looked at just one part of the body where the person is actually feeling the pain we would end up just treating the symptom rather then addressing the root cause. This course of treatment leads to some temporary improvement but with no lasting results. By treating the body as a functional unit we are able to treat the root causes that may have eluded other well-qualified health professionals. Utilizing this whole body approach our center has successfully treated these muscular dysfunctions: Back>>

How does a Neuromuscular Therapist Perform NMT?
An NMT will use his/her training, experience and intellect in an effort to achieve the optimal level of neuromuscular homeostasis for a client. Depending on the client’s condition this might include various types of massage, decompression of joints, stretching, strengthening, breathing, movement, body awareness and the creation of a home program.

You are unique and that uniqueness will dictate the type of techniques the NMT will use to help you achieve your goals. There are times when an NMT session looks more like one technique than another. Each session is an opportunity to reassess and take advantage of the NMT’s ability to apply the most effective techniques.

For a Neuromuscular Therapist to be effective, the NMT must have the training, experience and intellect to evaluate a client’s condition and history as they relate to normal physiological functioning and neurophysiologic laws and principles. Back>>

Is Inner Balance & Neuromuscular Therapy right for you?
Most clients find that the chronic discomfort or injury they have experienced in their bodies reoccurs a few days after a massage or some other type of therapy. Some people start avoiding activities they used to enjoy, but now the activity irritates them. This is usually because they have received treatment at the site (symptoms) of discomfort but have never discovered the source (cause) of it.

NMT seeks to discover the source and deal with the imbalance using all appropriate techniques, in an effort to optimize homeostasis between the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. This practice will produce lasting results and provide the client with a practical body awareness they previously did not have.

Athletes find that a consistent program of NMT helps to keep them injury free, flexible and focused during and after intense training or competition. This approach also hastens recovery and improves the quality of rest, which is vitally important to optimal performance. Back>>

What is the difference between NMT and Swedish massage?
Swedish massage is used to induce relaxation, encourage lymphatic flow and calm the mind through the use of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles. Sometimes these techniques are combined with limited active and passive movements of the joints. It is usually nonspecific as to the details of tissue dysfunction. Low lighting and soothing background music is used to enhance relaxation and there is generally no conversation between the client and the therapist. The result should be relaxation.

In contrast, NMT sessions are focused on the goal of alleviating or preventing pain, restoring or enhancing proper structure and biomechanics, all of which can positively affect a variety of physiological conditions. When appropriate the therapist and client are engaged in conversation. This helps the therapist to formulate a regimen of NMT and in return the client gains insight on how to prevent pain and injury and improve their overall physiology. The result will be decreased pain, relaxation, increased energy and an overall sense of well being. Back>>

Do you accept insurance?
Clients pay the same day of service but we can provide procedure codes on an invoice that can be submitted to your insurance company. It does help to get a prescription for Neuromuscular Therapy or Manual Therapy with the specific diagnosis codes from a physician specifying where you are having pain. Insurance companies prefer to see diagnosis codes from the doctor and procedure codes from us for the optimum chance of getting the treatment paid for.

Do you prescribe medication?
No.

Do you move bone (chiropractic)?
No. Bones and joints are held together by soft tissues and held in alignment by the forces and stresses placed up them. Balance the tissues and forces, remove the destructive stresses and alignment will result.